1. Field
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for determining the location and controlling the movement of powered vehicles, including but not limited to electric-powered, motorized carts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Retail stores may provide powered shopping carts for the convenience of their customers. For example, some powered shopping carts include a seat for a customer, a basket to hold retail goods, and a battery-powered electric motor system that allows the customer to travel within the retail store. Motorized shopping carts can be used in many commercial or retail environments. For example, motorized carts may be provided to make it easier for mobility-impaired customers to shop in a retail store or move in a shopping mall without the assistance of another person. In other cases, motorized shopping carts may have seats for children or carriers for babies, which makes it easier and safer for a parent or custodian to move in a retail environment.
Retail stores often permit powered shopping carts to travel freely within the store. However, stores may wish to restrict movement of carts into areas that are unsafe or inconvenient for cart retrieval and to deter theft and reduce other types of cart misuse. For example, a customer who drives a powered cart in a store parking lot may create a safety hazard for other customers and vehicles. Also, the customer may leave the cart at a location that blocks pedestrian access paths or vehicle parking spaces or at a location that makes cart retrieval inconvenient. Accordingly, a retail store may wish to implement a cart containment system that inhibits the ability of a powered cart to leave the store through an exit or to enter other restricted areas. The present disclosure provides examples of such a cart containment system.
This background section is not intended to suggest that the present disclosure is limited to powered shopping carts in a retail store environment or that the present disclosure is directed only to the types of cart misuse described above.